Effigy
by sylvanius
Summary: Numair must create a simulacrum of Daine for a mission but quickly gets more than he bargained for when he gets carried away with his thoughts. Set in an AU when he and Daine never got together during RotG. One-shot.


**New one-shot! It's set in an AU where Daine and Numair never got together during RotG and after everyone's had a while to calm down after the war. Enjoy!**

**Dosclaimer: Not Mine. **

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"So you can really make a simul-thingy of me?" Daine asked, looking hesitant.

"Simulacrum, magelet, and yes I can. The process is basically the same but I'll need you here for the first part," He murmured, gathering materials onto a table. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"It's just weird, thinking of there being another one of me out there," She sighed and he paused, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"Relax magelet. It's going to be a very simple one; I won't even need to imprint any of your magic onto it since most others can't even sense it."

"I know, but I mean, is this even necessary?" She sighed again, "I can handle myself," He pulled up a chair and sat next to her, taking one of her hands in his.

"Daine, there have been threats against your life. We need to draw out whoever has been making them and this is the safest way to do it. It has nothing to do with your abilities but with your safety," He looked at her intently but she said nothing, "I'll make a simulacrum of both you and myself and we'll send them into Corus for the day. If I create enough opportunities where you are separated from me then we should be able to settle this matter quickly, do you understand?"

"I suppose," She grumbled, "As long as it's you doing it," She said finally, offering him a small smile. He gave her hand a squeeze and smiled before dragging another chair over.

"Alright, we're ready. To start out I'll need you to meditate and I'm going to link us like I did in the clearing with the undine, you remember?" She nodded, "Good, I'm then going to begin creating an exact image of you. It might feel like something tugging at you, it's hard to explain really, but don't fight it. I won't hurt you." She nodded again, extending her hands for him to take, and closed her eyes. He grasped her hands in his own, trying not to think about how smooth they felt in his own, and closed his own eyes, willing himself to clear his mind despite her proximity.

Their breathing slowed until it became synchronized in a steady rhythm. Tentatively Numair nudged her with his mind, asking permission. For a moment he wondered if she would refuse, she never had before but opening your mind to someone was an incredibly personal and intimate experience. There was no resistance as she allowed him access and he found that he was the one who was hesitant. He quickly withdrew into himself and made sure that his own shields were secure. The last thing he wanted was for her to feel everything he was feeling. He trusted her not to purposefully delve into that part of his mind but there was always the chance that something could slip through in a delicate process like this. He felt her questioning his pause and offered her a mental shrug before letting his mind blend into hers. It took only a moment before he found her essence, not just her magic but her very center, what made her who she was. Very slowly he began to copy it, pulling it from her and creating an image in the empty chair. He could feel her beginning to squirm from the sensation, her concentration beginning to break and he paused, mentally soothing her. Once she had calmed he continued the process, taking great care to make it as comfortable as possible for her. He had to go slowly, he was not particularly used to making a simulacrum of another person and the fact that it was Daine was making it that much harder to concentrate. He stopped those thoughts immediately. He couldn't afford to let them distract him. He had to stop several more times to soothe her and the entire process took a little over an hour by the time he extracted his mind from hers and they opened their eyes.

"Are you alright?" He asked, hands still clutching hers. She nodded, though she looked a little pale, "It's a strange sensation. You should go back to your room and rest for a while," He said softly and she nodded, pulling her hands from his. She turned to look at the other chair and he followed her gaze. Sitting there was a perfect copy of her, right down to the shade of her eyes and the small scar above her eyebrow. Daine stood to get a closer look, leaning in, and Numair realized just how strange this all looked.

"I thought you said you were going to do a simple one. She looks exactly like me," She murmured, reaching out to touch the simulacrum's face and jumping when it turned it's head to look at her.

"Well, better get it as close as possible for this mission," He mumbled, blushing. He may have gotten a little carried away, "It has basic motor functions now but it will take a little more work so that it will act like you."

"You don't need me here for that?" She asked, moving her head back and forth and watching the copy follow her. He grinned at the image and replied.

"I think I know you well enough to pull it off, don't you?" She grinned up at him, standing up straight.

"Fair enough," She looked at it again, thoughtfully, "Why is she already dressed? Aren't yours naked when you first make them?" She asked and he blushed, remembering when she had walked in after he had just created one to what must have looked like a very awkward situation.

"Yes, well, these clothes are glamoured. I thought that would make you more comfortable," _And me, _he added internally. She nodded, accepting the answer, and yawned.

"Makes sense, you have actual clothes for her here then?" He nodded, "Right then, I think I'm off for a nap," She gave him a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek, startling him slightly, before leaving him alone with the copy.

A few hours later dusk was falling and Numair had just finished putting the final touched on the simulacrum. He collapsed into his desk chair, feeling himself shake. He would have to leave his own until tomorrow after he had had a good night's rest. He glanced over at the simulacrum who was standing and waiting patiently. He realized that she was still covered by the glamoured clothing and looked away before releasing the glamour.

"There are some clothes in the corner for you to put on," He said tiredly and heard movement as the copy moved to get dressed. He didn't have to say a command out loud as he had programmed this one, as he would do his own, to follow his mental commands. It just made it less strange to speak out loud in some ways. He sighed again, burying his face in his hands. He knew if it had been anyone else it would not be near so taxing but when it came to Daine he just wasn't sure how to cope anymore. Ever since that morning so many months ago he never felt balanced around her. She intoxicated him, drove him wild. Every time he was around her all he wanted to do was pull her into his arms and hold her, cover her lips with his own and kiss her with all the passion that had built up over these past months.

Though it shamed him there were far more things that he wanted to do to her than that and he couldn't help himself from the fantasies that overtook him when he was alone. Day after day images of him running his hands over her smooth skin and threading them through her thick hair played out in his mind. He imagined what it would be like for her lips to meet his and what her moans would sound like as he possessed her fully. He jumped when he felt a pair of hands rest upon his thighs and looked up to see Daine leaning over him, eyes piercing and lips slightly parted. She was completely naked, so close to him that he could feel his arousal straining painfully against his breeches. He found himself speechless for a moment, how had she gotten back in without him noticing? She slid a hand up his thigh and his chest until it slid to wind in his hair, pulling it from its tie. He closed his eyes at the sensation, sighing. He enjoyed a few brief seconds of peaceful ecstasy before his eyes flew open and he realized what was happening. The simulacrum, he must have forgotten to close his mental connection.

He knew he should command it to stop and close the connection. This was wrong on so many levels. Daine had trusted him with this and he was using her image for his own pleasures. He took a deep breath, meaning to halt the connection despite the fantasies that continued to rage in the back of his mind, but found that plan wiped from his mind as he looked back up at her. The simulacrum smiled down at him, biting its lip, before moving to straddle him and he groaned at the sensation as she settled onto his lap. His hands moved of their own accord to settle on her hips and his breath came in shallow gasps as she leaned closer and closer to him. A few more inches and he would feel her against his body; her lips, her touch, everything. His blood pounded in his ears as she drew closer, hands threaded into his hair. She was so close now, he could feel her breathe on his lips but within a second he had whispered the spell and her form dissolved, the simulacrum disappearing. He leaned back in the chair, shaking and trying to calm his body. In the morning he would have to find an excuse to tell Daine but for now he sank further into the chair and let his fantasies consume him.

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**Review please! Also, for those of you wondering about The Morning After there are new chapters on their way soon, I promise! I got terribly busy with school but they should be updated soon...**


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